


A Soldier's Duty

by Schiffsgefangnis



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-29
Updated: 2014-04-29
Packaged: 2018-01-21 05:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1539947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schiffsgefangnis/pseuds/Schiffsgefangnis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s no room left at any tables for Bertholdt in the mess hall, so he has no choice but to sit on Reiner’s lap so he can eat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Soldier's Duty

There was no room. There weren’t many tables in the mess hall to begin with, so it was to be expected. The usual loud chatter fills the room, his fellow trainees oblivious to his predicament.

Bertholdt was late to lunch break because he had to finish hanging the laundry up in the sun after the others ran off. As soon as the break began, they left him and the last basket of clothing, despite their task being incomplete. They were probably well aware that Bertholdt was going to take care of it either way.

Sighing, Bertholdt lingers near the stand where they handed out the food, clutching his tray in his hands. He can see Annie and Reiner over the heads of the other trainees. Bertholdt tentatively rounds the other tables, getting a better view of the table they’re sitting at. No space there either. They’re nudged together with Jean, Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and Mina. They were hip to hip, practically.

He frowns. He approaches the table anyways.

Bertholdt lingers behind where Reiner sat for a good fifteen seconds before the blond notices a shadow falling upon the table and the towering presence behind him. Jean and Armin had already noticed him, but didn’t say anything. Reiner glances over his shoulder, and then flinches, not expecting to see someone so tall. When he looks up at him, he realizes who it is.

“Oh, Bertl. I thought you were a titan for a second, haha,” Reiner greets him, grinning a little.

Bertholdt felt his eyelid twitch. He takes a deep breath and then leans in to ask quietly, “Is there any room for me?” Reiner blinks and then glances over the table as if the answer wasn’t obvious. Eren is still talking with Armin, Mina is talking at Annie, and Jean is watching them as he bites at his bread. Bertholdt begins to grow nervous. Reiner looks back at him and says, “No, but we can make a compromise.” Bertholdt blinks a few times, not expecting that answer.

Reiner pats his thigh. Bertholdt stares, and then processes what he means. He frowns, blushing a little, and hesitates. His fingers tighten on his tray. He’s beginning to think sitting on the floor would be better. And less embarrassing.

“No problem. I wouldn’t want you to have to sit on the floor or something,” Reiner assures him with a smile, reading his thoughts, and gestures for him to take a seat. On his lap. Bertholdt drops his gaze to his food, flustered. He sighs and then glances up at him again.

“Okay,” he says softly, “But there’s no room for my tray..”

Reiner furrows his brow, realizing this, and glances back at the table. The others are still talking, which Bertholdt is thankful for. He wouldn’t want attention brought to this. Reiner pushes his own tray further into the center of the table.

Looking back at Bertholdt, he says, “I’m done eating, so. Give me your tray.” He holds his hand out and Bertholdt sets his tray in it. He makes sure Reiner has a good grip before letting go. Reiner sets his tray in front of where his previous one lay with a quiet clatter. Glancing back at his friend, Reiner pats his thigh again and Bertholdt’s frown tightens. There really was no more room..? Oh well.

Thankfully Reiner is sitting on the edge of the bench so he doesn’t have to squeeze past another person. He’s careful not to accidentally kick him or dirty his pants as he slips onto his lap. Reiner exhales in a rush behind him, as if he weighed a lot or something. Bertholdt blushes, his hands grasping tightly at his shirt. Now that he’s sitting in Reiner’s lap, he can’t even lift his gaze to the others. The conversations at the table had gone quiet.

Reiner situates his thighs farther apart, as much as the miniscule room allows, just to give Bertholdt more comfort. Bertholdt feels like he’s slipping so he desperately grabs at Reiner’s shirt. Reiner laughs lightly.

“You’re good, you’re good,” he says with a soft laugh, wrapping a secure arm around his back. Bertholdt steadies himself on Reiner’s muscular thigh. Bertholdt can’t believe this. He’s blushing darker now. He hopes no one notices. When he glances up past his bangs at the others at the table, he’s met by five stares. Jean looked irritated. Eren and Armin looked curious, and Mina looked amused. Annie stared blankly, whereas Mikasa didn’t care.

Bertholdt shrinks under the stares. Reiner looks around at the others.

“What? There was no more room,” Reiner explains, brow furrowing with annoyance. Bertholdt sighs. His fingers shake when he reaches for the spoon to his soup. Reiner’s words make the others avert their attention. Armin begins talking to Eren again, and Annie looks away with disinterest. Mina gets up and disposes of her dirty tray.

Jean was still staring at them with his elbows propped on the table, hands folded in front of his face. His tray lay empty in front of him. Bertholdt looks at him as he takes spoonfuls of his soup. Bertholdt frowns, feeling a little intimidated under his glare.

“So you finished the laundry, then?” Jean speaks first, lowering his hands to the table. Bertholdt pauses, and then nods. Now that he recalls, Jean was one of the trainees that ran off. Bertholdt squints at him slightly, and finishes up his soup.

He feels the arm around him tighten. He peeks over at Reiner. Reiner was looking over at Jean with a tight furrow of his brow and a frown.

“What does that mean? Did you leave him to finish it, Jean? You’re required to help him complete the task. We’re fellow soldiers, we have to work together,” Reiner says with a bite to his tone, upset as if he was the one that was left to do the laundry rather than Bertholdt. Jean quirks a brow and then he laughs lightly, bitterly.

“What’s with you and your little soldier speeches all the time? It was just a little bit of laundry, sheesh.”

Reiner scoffs and shifts under Bertholdt. “Every piece of cloth matters.”

“Not in the long run,” Jean snaps back.

Bertholdt tries to drown out their argument with the help of the loud conversing in the mess hall. Miserably, he nibbles at his bread. He doesn’t want to hear of it. He’s thankful that Reiner gave him some place to sit, no matter how humiliating it may be, but like Jean said, it won’t matter in the long run. Bertholdt sighs as Reiner goes on about a soldier’s duty.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this fanart: http://mina1914.tumblr.com/post/74566186473/by-7
> 
> esidisi-kars.tumblr.com


End file.
